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2022 Year in Review
Despite Flooding, Contamination Concerns
Residents Celebrated with Local Events
Residents Celebrated with Local Events
By Bob Lindsey
2022 marked a year of change and adjustments in the Florissant Valley area. Better results with COVID vaccines resulted in fewer business restrictions and event cancellations. Residents had to deal with more highway and road construction with the I-270 North Project infrastructure upgrades and frequent detours and rerouting. Then there was a major mid-summer flood that continues to affect retail business at
Florissant Meadows and major structure work at historic Old St. Ferdinand Shrine.
Findings of radioactive contamination at a local grade school followed by public hearings heightened concerns from residents and many parents. Most recently was the announcement of a big shift in the development of the former St. Louis Mills Mall.
Here’s a capsule look back at 2022 and some of the major stories in Florissant, Hazelwood and North County.
In January, Missouri American Water announced a $52 million project working with MSD to replace aging water pipes with 6,000 feet of new pipes along N. Lindbergh between Elm Gove to Charbonier Road. Another 4,000 feet of pipe was replaced from W. Florissant Avenue in Ferguson to the city limits of St. Louis.
The first of several closures on Interstate 270 was for road work and bridge replacement. These type of closures for I-270 and the conversion of Dunn and Pershall Roads traffic to one direction began and is still continuing. Dunn is now westbond only road and Pershall will be only eastbound.
Florissant added the city’s first inclusive playground in the city with the grand opening ribbon cutting of Angie’s Inclusive Playground on a cool windy March 26th that was attended by hundreds.
On April 5, Florissant residents turned out to approve a general obligation bond that will generate $9 million for improvements at the aquatic centers at Koch and Bangert parks.
Florissant held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade and run which yielded a large turnout. It was held just after the county mask mandates were dropped and residents seemed to be celebrating getting back to normalcy. The city has already announced that the parade and run will be back in 2023.
In late April, the County Council moved on a continuing eyesore in North County: what to do with the Jamestown Mall property. The council authorized $6 million to demolish the mall. Now the next step is to decide what to build on this large tract of land.
After two years of only virtual events to celebrate the Valley of Flowers and no parades at all, the Valley of Flowers was back with the parade on May 8 and a variety of typical Valley of Flowers events such as the car show and the carnival rides at the Duchesne fairgrounds. Parade participants really got into the theme “Family Board Games” with their floats. This year more events should be able to be held in the James Eagan Civic Center.
In the local entertainment and performing arts scene, a return to normal was evident.
The popular Music Under the Stars concert series at St. Ferdinand Park was back with a full season of concerts from a wide spectrum of music from Billy Peek, Butch Wax and the Hollywoods, Rockin’ Chair and The Z Band. The Hispanic Festival of Greater St. Louis hosted “Fiesta in Florissant” at Knights of Columbus Park in late June with many live Latino bands, authentic foods and Folkloric dancers. The colorful two-day event brought out a few thousand people.
The only major event that had to be cancelled this year was the Polish Festival in August because of flood water on the grounds around the Old Saint Ferdinand Shrine, three feet deep in spots. It has taken most of the year for restoration of the Shine and nearby Florissant Meadows shopping center, which still has only a few businesses open. Insurance settlements have been slow, it was reported
The Hawthorne Players celebrated their 75th anniversary in the Fall concluding the season with a five-time Tony Award-winning play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. Using the Florissant Civic Center’s new stage technology both in sight and sound brought the audience into the world of a 15-year-old boy, a math master who has some behavioral problems due to autism. The Florissant Civic Center celebrated its 50th year with a new direction in plays, updated technology, and a new name.
In the midst of all the bad flood news, the biggest development that will have long range effects on the future of North County revealed more details about a project in Spanish Lake. The St. Louis Zoo provided renderings of WildCare Park, expected to open in 2027. Demolition of the Pipefitters buildings and apartments is near completion and brush has been cleared for the roadways for the Woodland Safari and Savanna Safari. Both will be viewed from open air buses that will hold 30-40 passengers. There will as be a Walking Safari, a “zooseum” nature adventure area and a Safari 11-story observation tower with 360-degree views of the Missouri-Mississippi confluence.
By Fall, everyone was looking forward to more full events and activities in Florissant. The last Food Truck Knight was held Oct. 7 and the 25th anniversary of the Fall Festival didn’t disappoint, with many returning events such as the Car Show, the craft fair, flea market, and Fido Follies. Live music was back on the street.
The early Fall events in the city seem to get everyone in the mood for Halloween events: The Boo-Bash Drive-thru at Sunset Park, the trick-or-treat stroll along St. Francois Street in Old Town and many scary and not-too-scary houses. such as those on Jefferson Street.
November began with an expanded Veteran’s Day Parade in Florissant and festival in Old Town at the VFW Post 4105 parking lot. The month also brought fears by many about the radioactive contamination confirmed at Jana School in the Hazelwood District near Coldwater Creek. A report by Boston Chemical Data Corp. confirmed the data and stated it was “significant.” However, additional testing including, two samplings by the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, found only low levels of contamination at the Jana site. Now, the Hazelwood School District, after hearing many pleas from parents to consider more testing, will seek more samples at other Hazelwood schools
In late November it was revealed that the old St. Louis Mills Mall has new ownership. A company called Industrial Commercial Properties (ICP) has bought the property and will develop it along with PowerPlex, the existing and planned sports complex that already has facilities inside the mall. ICP will offer space for a variety of tenants and hopes to move some in by next Spring. By summer Powerplex expects to be nearly complete with its sport facilities, both inside and outside except for the new stadium.
As the holiday season got off to an early start, Florissant hosted Christmas concerts at the newly named Florissant Performing Arts Centers (Civic Center theater). Florissant and Old Town Partners held the 2nd annual Miracle on St. Francois Street on Nov. 26, concluding at dusk with a decorated golf cart parade and the tree lighting at City Hall. The weather was crisp, the hot chocolate warming and many were in the Christmas spirit. This is beginning to look like a new city tradition.
